Re: ATMJ help

[Atmj1@aol.com]

A CALL FOR DATA

Today, I saw Randall Wheeler's S&T article in which he lists a number of
reasons why he feels telescope making is dying off. 

Randall is a great fellow, an ingenious fellow, and a loyal member of the
ATMA. However, I believe that he may not have the full scoop on what is
happening in broader ATM circles today - at least it differs from what I am
picking up from all over.  

I do not doubt that there are (percentage wise) fewer ATMs than a few decades
ago. Still, I believe that the total number is larger than in times past and
that those making contributions today are doing so on a grander scale. 

Here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, we have a number of highly skilled
amateur and professional telescope makers, we have a number of telescope
making workshops, and of course Bellingham is the home of Annual Telescope and
Optics Workshop.

Just two weeks ago, I was cornered by a couple of school teacher who said
their kids were so eager to start a scope project that they wanted me to get
them started with "anything on hand." This does not sound like the death of
telescope making to me.


If any of you can point to data or experiences to show that telescope making
in your area is on the rise, I would be please to hear of it so that I might
offer a counterpoint article to S&T.

Kindest Regards,

Bill Cook